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Nearly 2,000 protesters, mostly college students, staged a rally in downtown Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, demanding the arrest of "Malaysian official 1 (MO1)," an unnamed official whom the United States accused of embezzlement and corruption.
The U.S. Department of Justice said in a report that the MO1 received hundreds of millions of dollars from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), the state development fund of the Malaysian government.
The protesters, holding placards and banners, which read"Tangkap MO1," or "Arrest MO1," assembled Saturday afternoon at a shopping mall and the National Mosque, and then marched to the Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square), chanting slogans such as "people freedom," "Wake up, you are being cheated! They became rich at the expenses of our money," said Anis Syafiqah Mohd Yusof, one of the protest organizers, referring to MO1.
The students could not enter the square due to heavy police presence, which deployed barriers in the area. They gathered outside the square and began a sit-in.
"It is a very brave act for the students to speak out for the country," said a 70-year-old retired software engineer who also participated in the rally.
The government had said the rally is illegal and warned students not to participate.
"Demonstrations are fine enough, just not effective. If you want to change the government, make your choice during the general election," said Nur Jazlan Mohamed, deputy minister of the powerful home affairs ministry, according to the Star.
(APD)
